A
former Formula One engineer has developed an ultra-compact
city car, called the T.25, that is even smaller than a Smart
car and averages about 74 mpg. The
T.25 was designed by Gordon Murray and his team in Shalford, south
east England. It took them three years to complete the design, and
many features on the tiny
vehicle reflect those used on one of the most famous
“supercars” ever built: the McLaren F1.

Murray's
T.25 has a top speed of 80 mph, s only four-feet-wide by
eight-feet-long, and has a turning radius of six feet. The vehicle
features a central driving position and central
instrumentation/controls, much like the McLaren F1, and offers a
customizable interior that can set up six different ways to either
seat two people in the rear or use it for cargo space.

Weighing
in at only 550 kilograms (1,200 pounds), the T.25 is an easily
maneuverable car that was developed with Formula One
technology, materials, and philosophy, which makes the vehicle parts
easy to replace in case of an accident. Also, the side mirrors are
placed within the overall width of the car making it more difficult
to lose them, and the fuel caps are on both sides of the vehicle for
convenience. The sale price for a T.25 is set at $9,000.

In
addition to the T.25, Murray has also developed two other new
concepts: the T.27 and iStream. The T.27 is the T.25's electric
relative with a range of 80-100 miles and has a price tag of $18,000.
Currently, this is the only
information available on this model.

According
to Murray, iStream
completely changes the way the manufacturing process is
designed by simplifying the auto assembly line. The iStream will
"allow all major components to be fitted directly on to the
chassis prior to the body panels," which are pre-painted as
well, and this streamlining could ultimately lead to smaller and more
efficient auto plants that will reduce carbon emissions with the
vehicles they're producing.

The
iStream was analyzed by Holger Erker, managing director of the German
engineering consultancy IPE Engineering, and showed plenty of
interest in the new idea.

"It
is the most radical change in, let's say, the last 100 years of car
body making," Erker said. "With iStream, one of the most
cost intensive production steps -- body panel press shop -- is
completely eliminated."

Murray
worked as a Formula One designer from 1969-2006. In 2007, he opened
the Gordon Murray Design consultancy. He won the "Idea of the
Year" award in November 2008 at Autocar Magazine's annual awards
ceremony for his proposed manufacturing process (iStream) for the
T.25.

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